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The shelter helps women recover from life-controlling issues through counselling and skills training.

“Domestic Violence is something that most women who reach out to Destiny Haven have experienced in some form or another,” said Tiffany Graham, a volunteer staff member who runs the program.

Ms Graham was commenting on recent figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (BOSCAR), which show that the Hunter Valley region recorded 2025 domestic violence incidents between September 2023 and September 2024.

“While initially the number seems high, I would say it is minor in comparison to those incidents that go unreported,” she said.

According to BOSCAR, the majority of NSW regional areas had a domestic violence rate that was 50 percent to 300 percent higher than the NSW average.

And it could be even higher in isolated communities where incidents often go unreported or unresolved.

“The number of women who access our services has no direct correlation to the climbing number of women experiencing violence,” Ms Graham said, “however almost all are, in fact, trauma survivors.”

In April last year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared that violence against women is a “national crisis”.

By Joseph RICHARDS